Day 2 in Rome

Getting off of the ship was so easy and a cool train trip back to Rome.

Char back to carrying a very over weighted suitcase.

Picture of the US Embassy.

Drank this entire bottle of water the second we get to our room.

The streets of Rome are so amazing.

Steve joins us in Rome.

The Spanish steps during daylight.

Headed to the Vatican.

It was pretty cool finally being able to see the Vatican.

It was beautiful and everything was just large in size.

It was what I expected.

Most of my inside pictures did not come out so well.

Here you can see the archways and domes but it really doesnt give you the correct scale.  You are like a tiny ant standing in this massive cathedral.

Castel St. Angelo

It is so apparent in the US that we tear down the old and build new.

It is so amazing to see a city with all the old still there.

We spent my last night back at Piazza  Navona

We had a nice dinner, walked around a little more and then headed back to the hotel.

This was the view from my room.

The tallest palm tree I have ever seen in my life.

These were private homes that I could look down on from my balcony.

Very nice to say the least.

This was my hotel room.

I really loved this view from my room.

I watched the sun set on Rome.

It was really hard to take in all that I had just experienced.

It was such an amazing and fun trip.

I loved having so much time with just my sister and me.

We love being with our kids but this was such a break for me and I was grateful for every minute of it.

The sun coming up the next day.

It was such a peaceful morning sitting out on the balcony getting ready to leave Rome and head back to my family.

Thank you Char and Steve.

Words can not explain how incredible this trip was from day 1 until the very end.  Every moment was one to remember.

I had a good flight back and was really anxious to see the boys in my life.

Jordan was yet at another camp so it was going to be a few more days before I could see her.

I was so excited when I got off of the plane in Austin.  To my surprise there they all stood with a welcome home sign.  I did not expect how emotional I would be to see them.  I felt like I had been gone for a month.

I was home safe and sound right where I belong.

Last Day at Sea

Last Day at Sea

Headed back to Rome

Today was so windy that at the front of the ship I had to hang on to stand up.

Things like towels and clothes were just blowing off of the deck.  That was making me sad.

The wind was crazy!

For most of the day, we could see land around us.

I loved seeing the highways built along the coast.

The water was beautiful and had whitecaps but we still did not even feel the ship move at all.

I have these pictures out of order but this was the straight between the toe of Italy and Sicily.  The water, beaches, and towns were everything that I think of Italy.  Very gorgeous.

This huge ship was going in between these two land masses through a tiny straight of water.

This is the only time that the captain is not first in charge.  There are pilot boats that go along the ship and they are giving the steering directions.  Obviously it is deep enough but you could look over and  down from the deck and see land.  It was really exciting.

The highways just go into the mountains and these are massive tunnels.

Captains walk for charity.

This is Stromboli Volcano.

This Volcano has been active for over 2000 years.

This was an amazing sight. 

Smoke was coming out of 2 places.

This is a tiny village at the bottom of the volcano.

I dont think I would want to buy a place here.

However, the explosions and lava tend to go down the other side of the volcano.

Almost every year 1 tourist visiting the volcano dies.

Char slept through this part of the day.  Actually she slept the entire day.  I couldnt keep her awake.

Char and I went to a ballroom dancing competition and then as soon as they announced the winners, Simona, cruise director hit the floor.  We were already in our seats so we stuck around.

I am so glad that we did.

This was an adult scavenger hunt game show called Quest.

We had no idea what it was and it would be very hard to explain unless you were there.  We laughed for almost 2 hours.  It was hysterical watching grown people try and win this scavenger hunt.

Char and I didnt bring even a purse with us so we didnt have anything to contribute except when it was our teams turn to dance.

and then we danced!

For the finale one guy from each section had to be in heels, with make up and dressed like a girl.  It was just too funny.  It was a great way to end such an incredible cruise.  Char and I laughed ourselves to sleep that night.

This cruise ship was unbelievable.  It was such a great time!